Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-10-03
PISCATAQUIs INDUSTRIES.
Interview with Commissioner Matthews
In Relation to his Recent Visit to that
Thriving County-Facts and Figures.

Thriving COunty-Facts and Figures.
In an interview with Commissioner Mat
thews who returned Saturday from tour of
inspection through Piscataquis county, the
Journal reporter got at the following facts in
regard to the iron, slate and other intere SITS
of that section.
At Kstahdin Iron Works, which is situated
10 miles north of Milo Junction at the termi-
nus of the Bangor and Kstahdin Iron W orks
Railway, the Katahdin Charcoal Iron Co.
have a working capital of $50 900, employ
ing 100 men about the works, and in winter
about 200 additional men are employed in
cutting and hauling wood, of which some
1900 cords are annually used, being manu-
featured into charcoal The average
wages paid to common laborers, working ten
hours per day is S135, while furnaeemen,
working twelve hours per day and seven
days in the week, receive Sl.40. A large
proportion of the employees are Swedes.
About 1000 tons of charcoal pig iron has
been the annual product for the last two
years. The iron is of superior quality and
is used for special purposes, for car wheels,
etc. The company has recently filled an
order with the Uuited States Government for
cylinders for a government steamer. The
price of the iron in New York is from 926 to
1928 per ton. They are now adding to their
buildings so as to increase their capacity to
5000 or 1000 tons annually. The ore pro-
duces so per cent. of iron. About l 900 tons
of lime rock and 100 tons Of manganese are
used annually for tux.
Charcoal iron is produced principally in
Tennessee, Alabama and Connecticut, their
ore yielding only about As per cent, and at
Lake Superior where the ore produces 60
per cent, but the product is Of an inferior
quality.
At Brownvile there are two slate quarries
in operation and four IN Monson. At Mon
son 20 900 squares of roofing slate are made
annually and at Brownville 2, 400 squares,
anu Ill W OIG 4udiiy ~ oiOH IL
vile is getting out an amount OF slab work
equivalent to from 1000 to 5000 squares an
nually square OF slate covering 100 square
feet of roof. The number of men at present
employed in this industry is about so at
Brownyille and 40 at Monson. Wages av-
ersge $500 per day. During the past year
900 car loads of slate averaging 40 squares
to the car have been shipped from Monson.
The price in the market 10 about $500 per
square. The slate produced in Piscstaquis
county is of the dark, untadlng variety and
is considered the best roofing slate in the
United States. The engines at the quarrie.
are run with hard wood fires, those at Mon
son consuming some 5000 cords per annum
for which SO 90 per cord is paid. About
thres-tourths of the skilled laborers en-
ployed are WEIGH. number of Swedes are
employed III the PITS. There have been no
labor difficulties for three years past and the
men seem generally contented and prosper
slate enterprise is now in prosperous condi-
ton, numerous orders being received from
the West and South as well as from Massa-
chusetts. At Monson the company is now
building shipping shed for the storage of
slate in winter 40 500 feet and working
shed As by so feet. A new engine house hs.
recently been erected "a 40 feet. There
are 50 sizes of roofing slate made from 7x9
to l4x24 inches. The states are split little
less than one fourth of an inch ia thickness
or from 80 to "a states to foot. The com
pany will soon manufacture 1000 school
states per day, called the paragon noiseless
slate. The frames are OF rubber and the
states are framed at the works.
other Industries.
The villages of Monson, Foxcroft and Do
yer are growing rapidly and business is pros
porous. The Commissioner inspected the
wooden mills of the Brown Manufacturing
Company at Dover and of Mayo & Son at
Foxcroft, both of which employ two hundred